In times of war, during port or shipboard inspections, and police actions, the military, Homeland Security, or Customs Security Officers are often confronted with the need to carry off, guard, disable, or destroy illegally imported or captured weapons, particularly small arms. The need may arise when weapons are seized individually, or when the weapons are located in stockpiles, caches or shipping containers. While guarding the captured weapons is an option, guarding is manpower intensive and occupies the time of a well trained soldier, Customs, or Homeland Security Officer who's skills and training may be better used elsewhere. Often, the weapons must eventually be disposed of in some manner, often at yet another location, requiring further manpower to guard, transport, and destroy the weapon.
While small arms can be rendered inoperable by application of force, such as crushing, or by the application of sufficient heat to melt or bend the working components of the weapon, equipment, facilities, skills, and manpower are often unavailable to use these methods in battlefield conditions, aboard ships, or at Ports of Entry. Thus, the need exists to easily disable small arms with the limited manpower, limited skills, and limited equipment typically available under conditions found in the field, or at Ports of Entry.